Troubleshooting Slow Internet: What You Need to Know

January 31st, 2025

Nothing is as deeply frustrating as slow internet. When you want to download a file, upload a work project, or just watch the final scene of your favorite TV show without buffering, slow internet can be a huge damper on your productivity or fun.

But did you know that slow internet doesn't have to be a fact of life? In fact, discovering why your internet speed is so slow could be the key to solving the issue once and for all. Today, let's explore some common causes of slow internet and break down a few key troubleshooting tips you can use to speed up your internet in no time.

Internet service and speed explained

Your internet speed isn’t determined just by the quality of your router or what you want to download. Instead, total internet speed is affected by a variety of factors, like:

• Your internet plan

• Whether your internet service provider (ISP) imposes data caps

• How many other people are online/using the same wireless network at once

• How many devices are connected to the internet in your household (alexa, ring)

• Your router’s type and age

• Your device (e.g., a phone, a new computer, etc.) and how you are connected

• The weather (seriously)

For your internet to be as quick and consistent as possible, several different factors have to line up – or you have to get your internet from a provider that accounts for all of these.

Here’s an example:

1. Imagine one scenario where you have DSL internet from a less-than-stellar ISP. Your maximum internet speed is theoretically 100 Mbps, but it’s actually closer to 50 Mbps because your router is secondhand and there are seven different devices trying to use the same internet in your household. That could be why your Wi-Fi is so slow!

2. Now imagine another scenario where you have fast fiber internet with gigabit speeds. You have a new, eero Max 7 Wi-Fi router channeling Wi-Fi signals to all the devices connected in your household. Is it any wonder that the second scenario results in much faster internet?

Still, certain specific issues or culprits could be behind slow internet, especially when the problem is temporary, or your internet service is usually top notch.

Why your internet speed might be slow

Because internet access is so complex and uses several different devices and systems, there are many possible reasons why your internet speed might be terribly slow. Let’s review these one by one.

Data caps & throttling

Data caps are artificial limits imposed on your internet speed by your ISP. Without getting too technical, some ISPs use data caps or throttle internet download speeds to prevent traffic from becoming too congested on popular networks or during traffic-heavy times of day (like the evening after everyone gets home from work).

Your download speed might be slow because you’ve run into ISP throttling or data caps by using your internet a lot, downloading tons of files, or streaming media during the busiest times of the week. In any case, it's a huge buzz kill and something you should always look out for as you browse internet plans and offerings.

Congested home or provider network

On the other hand, your home internet network might be congested with too many people trying to use the same internet service. For instance, maybe your friends have come to your house to hang out, but they all log onto your Wi-Fi and slow things down for everyone.

Router issues

Of course, your router truly could be at the root of your slow internet problems. If it’s old or its software is out of date, it might not be up to the task of providing quality internet or Wi-Fi signals to modern devices in your household.

Slow devices

Your devices themselves could be the cause of slow internet. If you try to stream a movie on a smartphone that's 10 years old, you shouldn't be too surprised if it struggles to accomplish the task. The same can be true if you go online with an old desktop or laptop, especially if those devices are inundated with viruses or other performance-hampering bugs.

High latency

Latency can cause slow internet for anyone. In a nutshell, latency describes the time it takes for data to travel from your device to a web server and back. Low latency is always better since it means faster data transfers, while high latency is always worse.

So, what causes high latency? A lot of things, like:

• Excessive physical distance between you and a website's server – expect lower latency between your device and an American server versus your device and a server in Europe or Asia

• Network congestion

• Low-quality data routing from your ISP

• Problems with the server you want to reach (e.g., Netflix is slow for everyone because Netflix servers are experiencing a glitch)

Malware and other viruses

Viruses like malware can slow down your devices and make internet service feel artificially slow. They might do this by taking processing capacity from your PC or smartphone, using your device to carry out nefarious tasks in the background, or something else entirely.

Interference with Wi-Fi

If you connect to the internet via Wi-Fi, you might have slow service if there’s interference between your device and the Wi-Fi signal emitter (such as your router). Say that you want to download a movie in your second-story room, but your router is on the first floor of your house. The Wi-Fi signal has to travel through several walls and floors just to reach your device. This can result in slow download speeds from Wi-Fi signal interference. Getting a router that can produce a stronger Wi-Fi signal, adding on a Wi-Fi extender or moving closer to the router might solve the issue. Weather could also cause interference for internet connections above ground.

How to speed up internet

Knowing why your internet is so slow is half the battle. Now, you need to take the right steps to unleash your internet speed and help it reach its maximum potential. Sound tough? It doesn't have to be! There are a few easy and effective ways to speed up your internet.

Perform an internet speed test

For starters, you'll want to carry out an internet speed test. Check the connection speed for your internet connection and compare it against the speed you should get from your internet plan. If your internet speed feels slow, but it's technically as fast as you should get for your plan, an upgrade might be in order.

Speak to your ISP

If the root of your slow internet service lies with your internet service provider, give them a call to see what the trouble is. If it's a technical issue, any good ISP should already be working to resolve the problem and may be able to give you a timeline for when it’ll be fixed.

However, if you experience regular issues with an ISP, make sure your next internet provider is reliable, like Ezee Fiber’s 99.99% reliability.

Buy a new router

Have an old router that's constantly slowing down your internet? Buying a new one could be just the ticket.

A new router may be able to produce stronger Wi-Fi signals or handle traffic from lots of devices throughout your household. Plus, many new routers come with superior security measures. All Ezee Fiber internet plans come with a eero router, on us, an up to $600 value.

Use a wired connection

Even with a new router, the distance between that router and your online device could continually cause slow internet connection problems. Using a wired ethernet cable between your device, like a laptop or a gaming console, and your router will ensure the fastest internet speeds possible and provide benefits in terms of connection consistency. There are also Wi-Fi extender options available to help boost your signal, generally recommended for larger homes with 4+ bedrooms.

Switch to fiber internet

Even with all the above measures, DSL and cable internet can only go so fast. To really max out your internet speed and get the best experience possible, you should switch to fiber optic internet.

Fiber internet uses fiber optic cables made of glass or plastic to transmit light pulses that are translated into binary. Compared to the electrical pulses sent through traditional coaxial copper cables, the way fiber internet transmits data is much faster and more efficient. Add to that the fact that fiber cables are buried underground and less susceptible to weather-related interference, and it’s clear that fiber internet is flatly better than other internet network alternatives.

Fortunately, fiber internet might be in your area where it wasn't before. For instance, we're expanding our network at Ezee Fiber, and we're committed to providing fast fiber service to as many people as possible. If you want the fastest possible internet, it's a good idea to look into getting fiber for your household ASAP.

Get faster internet through fiber

In the end, the most powerful step you can take to fix slow internet is to switch internet service providers. Even better, swapping from slower internet types, like DSL or cable, to lightning-fast fiber could do wonders for improving internet speeds throughout your household.

That’s where Ezee Fiber can help. With 100% fiber at your fingertips and lifetime pricing forever, it’s the best option for your streaming habits and your wallet. Get in touch with one of our specialists today or explore our internet plans to learn more!